paradise tree snake, hunting @ SBWR - 2014

Came across this wonderful paradise tree snake earlier this year during a quiet morning walk along a boardwalk at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (www.sbwr.org.sg). It was mid-morning and a bright sunny day. This snake was about one metre long and was in active hunting mode. It may have been looking for bugs or geckcos hiding about the boardwalk. Soon after i started recording the clips, the snake's attention was captured by something close to the boardwalk edge and it lunged at it. I did not see it catch anything but it soon decided to speedily slide a few metres along the boardwalk where it started looking amongst the boardwalk beams for its breakfast. 

Paradise Tree Snake Hunting @ SBWR - 2014 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

The snake did not seem to be bothered at all by the horde of ants travelling across some of the wooden railings. Obviously, the ants were not on its menu list. The snake kept exploring the various beams on the rail and even took short breaks atop the railing looking down and about. Eventually, i watched it as it moved further along the wooden rail and finally onto a leafy overhanging branch quickly disappearing into the foliage. What a wonderful encounter!

Find out more about these wonderful snakes :

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/verts/flying_tree_snake.htm

http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/paradise_tree-snake.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopelea_paradisi

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/flying-snake/

http://www.flyingsnake.org/

http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2013/10/31/flying-snakes/

paradise tree snake @ SBWR

This beautiful snake caught everyone at Platform 2 by surprise. The adults had missed the prescence of the snake as it sunbathed at one corner of the wooden platform at the edge of the mangrove mudflat. It was a young girl who pointed it out with a whisper, being careful not to spook it with a yell or a scream.

The snake distracted attention away from the white-bellied fish eagle perched on the faraway tree. This was nature up close and literally at arm's length. It happily soaked up the warmth of the sun not being bothered by the vibrations caused by human footsteps on the wooden platform.
(the background cricket song had been dubbed in to replace quite a bit of human 'noise')
The snake however did eventually decide to move on and when it really did want to move, it moved fast. This is a very agile snake and being arboreal in nature, it is capable of feats of gymnastics fit for an active life in the trees.

Known for their ability to glide from trees, you can make out the triangularly shaped body. It's sides appear very much flattened and this ability to flatten its body thereby increasing its surface area would certainly assist the snake when gliding from a higher tree to a lower one similar to how a parachutist relies on the opened chute.  

Here's a video clip from Labrador Park in early 2011 :

http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.com/2011/01/paradise-tree-snakes-labrador-park.html

Read more about this fascinating snake :

http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/paradise_tree-snake.htm

http://www.wildsingapore.per.sg/discovery/factsheet/snakeparadise.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopelea

http://www.flyingsnake.org/

http://www.naturemalaysia.com/paradise-tree-snake.htm